As content marketing continues to soar, businesses have the challenge of determining what type of content to use to attract users, differentiate themselves, and provide value. Great articles are key to content marketing success, but so are interactive and multimedia elements like tools, video and widgets. Widgets, which are just mini versions of a larger tool, are a great solution because they are quick to complete, increase engagement, and can be re-purposed across different platforms.
Widgets = Engagement!
One thing we can all agree on is that engagement is key! Widgets help keep people's attention and keep them on your site longer. Instead of just reading about a topic, a user can actually input a few fields or shift a few sliders and see the subject in action. Maybe you have a great article about mortgage options; a user might read the article and then leave the site to figure out how this information applies to them. With a widget as part of the article, the user can, right then and there, put the subject into action! Maybe there's a slider to try out different rates or some inputs for their current payment and payment frequency. You're able to keep them on your site longer and they're engaging with your content.
Widgets give users control and the answers they're looking for!
The beauty of a widget is that it puts the user in control! They can get the information they're looking for in one place: there's information from an article and also a practical application all on one page. You also eliminate extra searching, helping to reduce the chance of your site user going to a competitor.
Widgets can be re-purposed and lead to more clicks!
Because widgets are short and to the point, it's easy to incorporate them on different channels, so you're getting a lot of use out of them. They're also a great hook to your articles and other content marketing. A 2-3 field widget with a slider is approachable and practical for a user; they don't need to fill out tons of information and invest a ton of time. Once they've filled out the widget, they'll have already started to engage with your brand and have some interest in the topic. From that widget, you can lead them to the full tool, related article, video, infographic… the list is endless!
